26 



ORNITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 17-No. 2 



around the falls and planted it above (laughter). 

 He had a confession to make. Col. Hodge 

 tried to have the law governing the size of 

 trout permitted to be taken in New Hampshire 

 changed. He had opposed him, and wanted 

 the law fixed so as to permit the taking of 

 trout four inches long. Col. Hodge appeared 

 before the committee with a small pair of letter 

 scales. He showed the committee that a four- 

 inch trout weighed just one-quarter of an 

 ounce, and a five-inch trout one-half ounce. 

 He immediately withdrew his argument and 

 apologized. He illustrated the value of pro- 

 tecting small trout by relating his experience 

 in raising trout. After a trout is five inches 

 long its growth is rapid. Some small trout 

 placed in a pond last year now measured from 

 7 to 14 inches in length. He fed these fish 

 only once a week, sometimes only once a 

 fortnight. He thanked the club members for 

 courtesies, and hoped to make a trip to 

 Megantic. 



Dr. Heber Bishop asked the attention of the 

 club for a few minutes. He alluded to the 

 work of Mr. Webster, of the Frank Blake 

 Webster Co., in furnishing the elaborate deco- 

 rations, and made the motion that a vote of 

 thanks be extended to Mr. Webster and the 

 company he represented. This motion was 

 unanimously carried. 



President Woodruff then introduced Gen. 

 Douglas Frazer as a man who had travelled 

 over much of the world and hunted and fished 

 in many countries. Gen. Frazer was warmly 

 greeted. He spoke of his gratification at being 

 with the Megantic Club members that evening. 

 He had visited many countries. He described 

 his early experience in shooting with a flint- 

 lock gvm and pistol when he could make them 

 go off; of the mishaps which befell him 

 while burning gunpowder during his youth. 

 When he came to years of discretion he 

 chased that same old grouse that lived 

 in Newton, year after year. He had sat 

 for hours by the river and nearly frozen, trying 

 to get a shot at a duck. He had shot plover 

 and black ducks under these very tables. Just 

 where this hotel stands was once famous 

 grounds for shore birds. Some German gun- 

 ners killed immense bags of game here. He 

 learned of the place and liad killed 70 or 80 

 Yellow-legs in this place. Later, while on a 

 voyage to China, there was a calm at sea; he 

 boarded the quarter boat and made off from 



the vessel; witliin two hours he killed 18 alba- 

 tross, the largest birds in the world. One of 

 these birds measured over twelve feet six 

 inclies from tip to tip of wings. An interesting 

 account of shooting in China was given. He 

 described a native gunner whom he met at a 

 season of the year when the river was frozen; 

 but this gunner was nude, except about the 

 loins. He had two big guns, 12 feet long, and 

 of about IJ^-inch bore. These were primed and 

 a fuse attached to tliem. The native would 

 break the ice with his foot and work his boat 

 toward a flock of ducks, and at the proper 

 time light the fuse and discharge his gun with 

 deadly effect. This native did not seem to 

 know what cold meant. After killing all the 

 ducks he could carry he wouUl walk thirty 

 miles to Pekin to sell them. He then sang 

 Chinese and Japanese songs. But after seeing 

 all these things he came back to New England 

 with the greatest pleasure to enjoy its sports. 

 He closed by advising all to seek the pleasures 

 of the woods. Why will Americans work so 

 liard during this one short life? Why not 

 enjoy the greatest pleasure given to man ? 



Letters regretting their inability to be present 

 were read fioni tlie following: Gov. W. E. 

 Ilussell; Ex-Gov. John D. Long; Hon. .loliu 

 Tilton, Canadian Minister Marine Fisheries; 

 Samuel Wilmot, president of the Wild Goose 

 Club; A. Nelson Cheney; Fred Mather; H. P. 

 Wells; F. E. Boothby; Dana J. Flanders. 

 There were also a large batcli of telegrams of 

 regret from Fish and Game Commissioners. 



Mr. Stephen O'Mcara, editor of the Boston 

 Journal, was the next speaker. He thought 

 he might take a lesson from the owl before 

 him and remain quiet. He liad been recom- 

 mended by his physician, a member of this 

 club, to come there and pass a quiet evening 

 (laughter). He hoped to some day experience 

 the pleasure of a trip to Megantic. 



The next speaker was Mr. Jonathan Darling. 

 In introducing him. President Woodruff" said: 

 "We have here to-night a man you have all 

 heard of; a man who has defied law, as well as 

 the fish and game commissioners. Deputy 

 sheriffs could not catch him and even jails 

 could not hold him, but he had now been 

 enlisted on the right side and was now a fish 

 and game warden of Maine." He then intro- 

 duced Mr. Jock Darling. 



Mr. Darling was received with cheers. He 

 said he felt out of his element; the woods was 



